Page 107 of Diluted Truths

“Can you not stick your tongue down my sister's throat?” Kai grumbled.

Jackie laughed and ran to hug her brother and sister. I watched as the siblings tearfully reunited. Theo hugged her tight before pulling back and eyeing Jackie curiously.

“You smell familiar,” said Theo.

Jackie chuckled as she sat down on the bed. “Probably bad, I don’t think I’ve showered for five days.”

“You don’t think?” Kai asked.

Jackie nodded before explaining. “I-I don’t remember anything. I was in my apartment, Griffin drugged me.” Just the mention of him had my blood boiling. “I had some wild dreams and then I was in the street where they found me.”

“Nothing in between?” Theo asked as she sat next to her.

Jackie shook her head no and took a seat on the hospital bed. “Just the dreams. I know something must have happened. The doctors said I was suffering from extreme sleep exhaustion and my feet are all cut up like I was running.”

I looked down to see her feet bandaged with gauze. I hated that she was hurt. I squatted down in front of her on the bed and took her hands in my own.

“Are you okay? Did Griffin do anything else to you?” I asked quietly.

“I-I don’t think so.”

I heard Kai exhale behind me and saw Theo visibly relax next to Jackie. “I’m glad, Sunshine.”

We all sat for a moment while Jackie chatted about nothing important. It was obvious she was still in shock and the talking helped. I hadn’t let go of her once and at one point moved to sit on the bed with her. I had no plans of letting go of her anytime soon.

She radiated beauty and strength. I felt so lucky to have her in my life. I think she was mid-sentence when I leaned down and interrupted her with a kiss.

“This is a nice change of pace for you, Will,” Theo remarked while chuckling at me.

“You should have seen him, Jack,” Kai began. “I thought my ranger team was scary. I actually thought he was going to murder Griffin when we were in New York.”

“You were in New York? So was Griffin?” Jackie asked, confused.

I nodded. “Yeah. I knew Griffin had something to do with it, so we went and… questioned him at the asylum.”

Jackie stared at me in shock.

“What?” I asked.

“How did he take me if he was in New York?”

Theo, Kai, and I were all silent.

“We’re not sure,” Kai finally said. “The police say it couldn’t have been him, but you remember him. Right?”

She nodded.

“We don’t know how connected it is, but he has ties to the Cult you have been researching,” Theo said.

“It’s real?” Jackie asked in earnest.

I nodded. “Yeah, Sunshine, we think it is.”

“Fuck.”

“There’s more,” Oliver said in the doorway, Sarah at his side. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“Don’t you dare be sorry,” Jackie smiled. “Come here.”